Fabrics and care · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read
What is brasso fabric? Burnout explained
What is brasso fabric? The burnout or devoré technique that leaves sheer patterned areas in a blended cloth, how it differs from print and jacquard, and lining.
InspirationBrasso, burnout and devoré
Brasso is the name used in Pakistani and Indian shops for burnout fabric: a cloth made of two different fibres in which a pattern has been dissolved out of one of them, leaving sheer, see-through areas next to solid ones. The same technique is called devoré, from the French for “devoured”, and in English shops simply burnout.
The market name is used loosely. Some sellers mean any burnout on a chiffon or georgette base, others use it for burnout velvet, and occasionally it turns up on a patterned fabric with a sheer ground made another way. The listing photo and the fibre content on the label tell you more than the word itself.
How burnout works
The base cloth is woven or knitted from a blend, often viscose with polyester or viscose with silk. Plant-based fibres such as viscose and cotton can be destroyed by a chemical paste when heated, while polyester and silk survive it. The paste is printed in a pattern, the cloth is heated, and the treated fibre crumbles and is washed away.
What remains is a pattern in two textures: the full blend where no paste was applied, and a fine sheer ground of the surviving fibre where it was. On burnout velvet the pile is eaten away, leaving raised velvet motifs on a sheer, chiffon-like base. The cloth can be dyed afterwards, sometimes in two shades, because each fibre takes dye differently.
Not a print, not a jacquard
Several fabrics can look alike in a photo. Handling them, and holding them up to a window, settles it.
- Print: colour sits on the surface and the cloth is equally opaque everywhere, so nothing changes against the light. Our article on print methods covers the main types.
- Jacquard: the pattern is woven in by lifting different threads, so it shows as a change of weave rather than a change of thickness. See the jacquard guide.
- Burnout: the pattern is a change in thickness. Against the light, motifs and ground look clearly different, one solid and one sheer.
- Embroidery: extra thread sits on top of the cloth and can be felt as raised stitches.
Where brasso needs lining
Burnout is partly sheer by design, so it needs the same thinking as chiffon or net. As a dupatta it is usually left unlined, which is where it looks lightest. As a kameez, the sheer areas show whatever is beneath, so most people choose a lining or a separate inner slip; our lining guide explains the options.
A lining in the same colour lets the pattern read as quiet texture, while a contrasting one makes the motifs stand out. Sleeves can be lined or left sheer, depending on how much coverage you want.
Wearing and caring for it
The sheer areas are thin. They snag on rings and zips, and seams cut through them can fray, so a careful finish and enough seam allowance matter more than on a solid cloth. Care depends on the fibres: follow the label, test anything new on a hidden area, and treat the fabric as delicate, with a gentle hand wash or dry cleaning, no wringing and a cool iron on the reverse.
If you have a burnout piece you would like made up, describe it in a quote request with photos of both sides, or read how Fabric + Stitching works if you would rather we propose the fabric. We confirm what is possible on your fabric and design before anything is cut.
Common questions
Is brasso the same as chiffon?
No. Chiffon is a sheer fabric of one even texture, while brasso combines sheer and solid areas made by the burnout process. Many brasso fabrics have a chiffon-like sheer ground, which is where the confusion comes from.
Is brasso suitable for summer?
Often, because the sheer areas let air through and the base blends are usually light. With a cotton lining it can be comfortable in warm weather, although synthetic blends feel warmer than cotton.
Can brasso be embroidered?
Light embroidery can work on the solid areas. The sheer ground is fragile, so heavy work placed there can pucker or tear. Describe the embroidery you have in mind when you ask for a quote.
